22 awesome things to do on Yuyuan Lu
Photograph: courtesy Paramount
A day on Yuyuan Lu is a must for Shanghai visitors and veterans alike. From high-end shopping to art deco masterpieces, and plenty of spots to stop and eat in between, here are a few of the amazing things to see on Yuyuan Lu.
Got more time to explore? Find all the best things to do on Xiangyang, Anfu and Wulumuqi Lus.
Co Cheese
Co Cheese serves up more than 30 varieties of the quintessential sandwich, all on San Francisco sourdough. Varieties include country ham, duck breast, chorizo and even Vegemite. It's 50RMB for a regular, 56RMB for a large and 80RMB for a 'huge'. If the dozens of choices don't do it for you, make your own sandwich and pick your cheese and ingredients starting from 25RMB.
📍Co Cheese, 32 Yuyuan Dong Lu, near Changde Lu.
CinnaSwirl
CinnaSwirl serves up sticky sweet goodness, original rolls coming at 80RMB for six. Jazz it up a little and go for the caramel apple, raisin or walnut rolls at 98RMB for six. The venue is small so the shop is mostly for takeaway.
📍CinnaSwirl, 32 Yuyuan Dong Lu, near Changde Lu.
Crystal Galleria
Photograph: Chris House
📍Crystal Galleria, 68 Yuyuan Lu, near Changde Lu.
Former Residence of Liu Changsheng
Photograph: Chris House
📍Former Residence of Liu Changsheng, 81 Yuyuan Lu, near Changde Lu.
108 Food Court
Photograph: Chris House
108 Food Court has a whole gang of restaurants to choose from if you need a good meal. Try the super cheap chuan'r at packed and rowdy Ms Fu in Chengdu starting from 0.5RMB, or go for sushi at the more intimate Gaku on the third floor.
📍108 Food Court, 108 Yuyuan Lu, near Changde Lu.
Bi Feng Tang
Bi Feng Tang is casual and laid-back dim sum restaurant with a few Sichuan dishes thrown in here and there. It's one of those trusty late-night places you can go to after a night of hitting the clubs. Their crab and pork dumplings are a must (42RMB), and the five-piece assorted dumpling set ain't half bad either (39RMB).
The Paramount
Photograph: courtesy Paramount
Dance like it's 1939 at the infamous Paramount or Bailemen (Gate of 100 Pleasures), Shanghai's largest and most popular nightclub through the '30s. The art-deco masterpiece recently reopened in full force after renovations with live jazz, dancing, karaoke, as well as afternoon tea and dinner. For architecture geeks, the building itself is a gem worth lingering around in.
Airpark
Outdoor gym Airpark occupies a whole rooftop and has monkey bars, weights and plenty of space for people to do their own thing while they work out (a drop-in visit is 50RMB for non-members, 38RMB for members). There's also a small bar and places to lounge around during the warmer months.
Together
French-Asian casual dining spot Together is an intimate venue tucked just back from the street. The dishes are for sharing and feature meat and seafood mains like the New Zealand lamb chop (198RMB for one portion, 398RMB for two) or the grilled salmon steak with ume miso glaze (158RMB, 308RMB).
📍Together, 546 Yuyuan Lu, near Zhenning Lu.
Fu Chun
Photograph: Chris House
If you're looking for a quick bite, head to Fu Chun to try the xiaolongbao. The spot's hustle and bustle during peak hours isn't for the faint of heart or the soft-spoken but if you don't mind a crowd, order their specialty Fu Chun xiaolongbao at 12RMB for six, the prawn xiaolongbao at 28RMB for six, or the crab xiaolongbao at 36RMB for six.
📍Fu Chun, 650 Yuyuan Lu, near Zhenning Lu.
Brut Cake Café
Photograph: Yang Xiaozhe
Food blogger wife-husband team Priscilla Young and chef Jun Wu deliver home-style American dishes with local twists. Try the Brut Chicken & Waffles (82RMB) or the Spicy Granny Burger (72RMB).
📍Brut Cake Café, 698 Yuyuan Lu, near Zhenning Lu.
Specters
Photograph: Morgan Short
Cheap drinks, great music and totally genuine, the second iteration of Specters is unlike anything else in Shanghai. Its fast-and-loose, grungy vibe isn't for everyone – but if you aren't 'everyone', then you'll find this five-and-a-half out of five stars.
📍Specters, Bldg D, 753 Yuyuan Lu, near Zhenning Lu.
Porcellino
Photograph: Yang Xiaozhe
Porcellino serves up decent Italian at a decent price. Start things off with the charcuterie board of assorted Italian cured meats at 98RMB for a small and 148RMB for a large, then move on to any number of entrees – seafood, pasta, pizza, risotto… Porcellino has your Italian fix covered.
📍Porcellino, First Floor, Bldg B, 753 Yuyuan Lu, near Zhenning Lu.
SMAKA café & bakery
Photograph: courtesy SMAKA
SMAKA – 'have a taste' in Swedish – is a bakery and café that sells Swedish classics like rich, chocolatey kladdkaka (38RMB), princess cake (46RMB) and cinnamon buns or almond croissants for 20RMB. Head to the cosy and inviting space on the second floor to relax as you enjoy your snack.
📍SMAKA, 769-3 Yuyuan Lu, near Zhenning Lu.
Akimbo
Photograph: courtesy Akimbo
Shenzhen café brand Akimbo has made its way to Shanghai with a flagship spot in a beautiful 90-year-old renovated heritage building. Design details and photo appeal are dialled up to 11 here, with similar impulses from the menu – stick to classics like single-origin, washed pour-overs (45RMB) or get adventurous with a red velvet latte or matcha latte (32RMB).
📍Akimbo, 1018 Yuyuan Lu, near Jiangsu Lu.
The Cannery
Photograph: Yang Xiaozhe
There's a range of freshly flown-in seafood at market prices which changes daily, with staff behind the central bar area steaming mussels and shucking oysters, so make sure you enquire about the specials. Expect to shell out around 200RMB for drinks and a meal.
📍The Cannery, Bldg 1, Room 106, 1107 Yuyuan Lu, near Jiangsu Lu.
Stone Brewing Tap Room
Photograph: courtesy Stone Brewing
American independent craft brewery Stone Brewing has thrown open the doors to its first location in China, with as much US craft beer as cocktail-crazy Shanghai can likely stomach. In tap terms, this means a selection of dozens of beers at any given time, curated from the brewery's own stock as well as guest beers from around the globe.
📍Stone Brewing Tap Room, 1107 Yuyuan Lu, near Jiangsu Lu.
Star Billiards Club
Photograph: Chris House
Hidden away in the Workers Cultural Palace you'll find this gem. Ranging from 58RMB-98RMB per hour depending on which style of billiards you want to play and which table you want to use, the place is billiards heaven. Hire a Chinese-speaking tutor for 50RMB.
📍Star Billiards Club, Third Floor, Workers Cultural Palace, 1250 Yuyuan Lu, near Anxi Lu.
Bowl'D
Photograph: Annie Lin
Formerly on Anfu Lu, this smoothie bowl joint is back up and running at its new location on Yuyuan Lu. Best-sellers include the 'original' açaí bowl (40RMB for a small or 50RMB for a regular), whose all-natural sweetness comes from Brazil-imported açaí berries and frozen bananas as the base.
📍Bowl'D, 1386-1 Yuyuan Lu, near Changning Lu.
Homeslice Pizza
Serving up big slices of New York style pizza, Homeslice doesn't disappoint with its portion sizes. Try a classic pepperoni pizza (25RMB for a slice, 130RMB for a 16-inch pie) or something more fancy like the anchovy and olive pissaladière (150RMB).
📍Homeslice Pizza, 1398 Yuyuan Lu, near Dingxi Lu.
Wingtopia
Photograph: Chris House
Wingtopia serves just what you'd expect – chicken wings, chicken tenders and drumsticks. The vibe is casual and the menu is pretty diverse, with flavours like garlic parmesan, honey mustard, green curry and lemon pepper (48RMB for a six-piece, 130RMB for an 18-piece). If wings aren't your thing, try their other snacky foods like onion rings (30RMB) or waffle fries (30RMB).
📍Wingtopia, 1398 Yuyuan Lu, near Dingxi Lu.
Yuyintang Park
Photograph: courtesy Yuyintang Park
Built in a basement across from Zhongshan Park, this Yuyintang's a little bigger than its older counterpart. Just like the original Yuyintang, this one cranks out live performances from underground indie bands of all genres.
📍Yuyintang Park, B1, 1398 Yuyuan Lu, near Dingxi Lu.
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